Basic Introduction to Creating a Photo Calendar

The year was 2019, I had only bought a camera and started taking pictures the year before. But that didn't matter to me, I wanted to learn how to make a photo wall calendar. I thought if I learn the process and take my lumps now, I would be better for it in the long run. Which has been great, this year I created two completely different calendars in a short time, comparatively to the past at least.

I get a lot of questions about my calendars. Where do I get my calendars printed? How do you make any money with calendars? What tools do you use? Are there already templates created for calendars? These are all questions I had when I got started too. And I wish I knew what I know now back then.

There were definitely a few bumps in the road. I will save you all that though. This is just a short overview the process I use to create my Photo Calendars. So, first thing first. I use a bulk printing lab whose printers print in the CMYK color model. Right there you probably notice two hurdles, "bulk" and "CMYK". Both can be avoided, however that avoidance with come at a cost. For instance, the Lulu.com print lab printers use the sRGB color model and you can even order single calendars. However the cost per calendar is typically higher that CMYK bulk print labs.

The print lab I use can be found at https://printingcenterusa.com. However, there are many others in the industry. Whoever you use though, you can download basic calendar templates from their website.

Basic Overview of Calendar Creation Process

Before going through the technical process, I will offer a word of advice. If you want to sell your calendars, you will need photos that are interesting and stimulate buyers to purchase your calendar. So, I would start by creating interesting photos. I use the term "picture perfect" when I think of photos people are going to put on their walls. Besides the qualities of just being interesting, I try to make sure there are no dust spots, they are properly exposed, there are no technical issues like motion blur in the wrong spots or strange color casts, and so on.  I would also add that people like to see "special" shots in their calendars, not just snapshots. So usually for me, that means there is a well-defined subject in the photo.

Getting Started with Making Your Photo Calendar

Decide your calendar crop, then decide the photo crop, they don't have to be the same.  Then make sure the resolution of each photo is adequate; resolution should be at least 300 DPI. 

Which is a simple calculation, take the pixels of the longest edge dived by 300.  That is the maximum inches that photo can be printed and still look good in calendar.  So, a 6000x4000 pixel photo, could theoretically be printed up to 20 inches wide.

Exporting and Converting Photos

Note: I use Adobe tools for this process, Lightroom, Photoshop and Acrobat. The basic ideas in my process can be done with other tools though. The end result should be a PDF file in CMYK color profile.

Since Lightroom cannot convert or export in CMYK color profile, this is the process I follow for the color profile conversion.

1. I export the photos as a full size TIF with Adobe RGB color profile

2. Open each photo in Photoshop or other tool that can convert photos to CMYK color profile

3. In Photoshop, I go to Edit - Convert to Profile.  The "Destination Space" Profile should be downloaded from your print lab.  This will allow the conversion process to closely match their CMYK printer.  There are four "Intent" options. 

4. The default is usually good.  However, you can try the other options with the "Preview" check box checked.  Click Ok for the conversion to take place.

Note: if you don't like the conversion of the color, blues and reds are tough sometimes.  You can either directly edit your photo now in the CMYK profile with adjustment layers in PS.  Or close the file, re-open it and then make changes before converting it again.

Once your photo no converted, the document tab with have "CMYK" in the title.  You will want to export the photo to JPG.  Full quality, uncheck "Convert to sRGB", and check "Embed Color Profile".

Building the Calendar from a Template File

I use the Printing Center USA print lab, however there many other bulk CMYK print labs to choose from. On their website are base calendar template, there are different sizes. grid formats and templates for different software programs.

So, I go to their web site to download the template I want to use. For instance, I download the basic 8.5x11 Inch Photoshop template the year of the calendar. The template will have the grids for that year on each month of the next year.

One thing to note with whatever template you used, your calendar template should be in CMYK color profile.  This is important so your photos don't get converted again.

1. Open the template to get started.

2. DO NOT REMOVE the Instructions page, you will it for referencing the Trim Line

3. In Photoshop, click the visibility eyeball for the Instruction Layer, and drag you mouse down to hide all layers.

4. First, create your cover.  This should typically include your cover photo, Title and Year. And any other text you want on the cover.

5. Click the Front Cover layer and place your cover photo on it, File - Place Embedded… - click file - Place.  Depending on your calendar size and your photo, you might need to adjust the photo with the transform tool.  Make sure there is no blank edges if you want your photo to fill the cover. 

6. Once your photo and cover objects are in place, re-enable the Instructions layer and set that layer to 50% opacity.  Check the top and bottom holes to make sure an important feature of your layer won't be drilled out. Then disable the Instruction layer.  (you can now delete the blank layer that just says, "FRONT COVER IMAGE", not your actual photo or cover objects).  I typically create a group to put everything on the cover into.

7. Hide the cover layer, click the January Photo layer, then place the January photo.  Adjust as needed.  Hide the layer

8. Enable the January Grid.  You can customize the gride page, transform size, add text, add photos, add borders, or just leave it alone.  If you add anything, you will need to verify that everything is within the "Safe Area" and not in the drill holes spots with the Instructions layer again.  Then hide the grid layer.

9. Repeat the process for adding each month's photo and editing the grid.

10. The Back Cover image is completely up to you and your imagination.  I used Google and Amazon for inspiration.  Then I ended up creating a simple template that I use now.

11. There are two extra page layers.  These are for a notes page and the yearly overview.  I delete the layers in PS, and then download these extra pages as a PDF file. Then add these pages later in the process.

The next major step is to export each page to a PDF file.  What I do is make sure each page is a flat layer in Photoshop. 

Double check everything.  Text, photos, everything.  I usually get someone else to proof it in case I have some bias :)

Export Pages

1. Click File - Export - Layers to Files

2. Choose the export folder, prefix name for files, I uncheck Visible Layers… on the first run so every layer is exported, file type is PDF, check "Include ICC Profile", PDF Options should be JPEG Quality 12. Click Run

Build Final PDF - You should now have a PDF for the Cover, the back, each month's photo and grid.  Additionally, you should download the extra pages to add as well from the lab's website.  I use Adobe Acrobat to merge the PDFs together.

1. In Acrobat, Click Menu - Combine files

2. Click "Add Files" button to add all pages

3. Rearrange as needed, but you should at least need to move the back page to after the extra pages.

4. Click the "Combine" button

The resulting PDF is your final calendar.  Review it a few times to make sure the order of the pages is correct and of course everything else is correct.

You can order your calendar from your print lab, or possibly print it yourself.  In a pinch one year I was out of calendars and needed one.  So, I uploaded the PDF to LULU for one calendar.  The drilled hole was a bit off, but the point is the format of the PDF I created with this process was solid.

I hope this process of how I create my Landscape Photography Calendars every year was helpful. I have thought about creating a more detailed guide with exact steps and my custom cover and back templates. Let me know if you are interested in a full guide like that.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: Why do you use a Bulk CMYK Print Lab?

A: Typically, the pricing for the calendars makes more sense than RGB print labs.

Q: Where do I download a template for creating a Photo Calendar?

A: You will find multiple calendar template sizes, formats and for multiple supported programs here: https://www.printingcenterusa.com/templates/calendar

Q: What is the minimum photo resolution for an 8.5"x11" Calendar? A: The minimum resolution would be 3300 pixels by 2550 pixels.

Q: What Photo Calendars do you have available for 2025?

A: For 2025, I created two Calendars, the 2025 Colorado Scenic Landscapes Calendar and a Limited Edition 2025 Colorado Springs Calendar, information for both calendars is linked below.

Colorado Scenic Landscapes - 2025 Photo Wall Calendar

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Colorado Springs 2025 Photography Wall Calendar - Limited Edition

Buy Now